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who gonna be bowfishing this year? when you starting and what are you gonna do with the fish?
Theres a lake by my house that had big crap on it a few years back.. Saw them while kayaking it. I'm going to go kayaking come May. If they're there Rut Nuts going to show me how to shoot them.. Then he's going to eat them.:) Ed
I'm going.
Around here they usually get active around Memorial day or thereabouts.
I want to use the skins of the longest ones to back osage selfbows. I would also like to try to eat them. There's got to be a way to cook them that they're palatable. I don't like to take the word of others whether something will taste good to me, because often I disagree with them, so I've vowed to give them an honest try myself.
Even though they can be detrimental to an ecosystem, it seems a shame to kill them and not eat them.
I just Googled Carp Recipes and saved several that sounded yummy. I'll let ya know how it goes :^)
i'm getting squared away to try to shoot some this year also. great idea on the bow usage jeff, and i also am having a hard time trying to figure out how to cook, smoke, grill em. they say everything is good wrapped in bacon :
Yeah, hopefully Teeton and I will hook up to chase some CARP! (check your spelling, Ed! ;-)
I too have a problem with killing stuff I don't eat. I was going to try to smoke 'em if I get 'em.
LOL Stick n string- I heard that about shad until I went to a local shad festival years ago and had some deliciously prepared filets. They were cooked on a cedar board over charcoal, but they threw the boards away! ;-)
Yeah Stick, I'm not afraid to disagree :^)
Heck, I know guys that won't eat antelope, caribou, wild turkey, beaver, muskrat, groundhog, and even deer meat... I disagree with them too :^)
Yep, smokin em is one of the recipes I found and I have a smoker. I'm gonna try it.
I also like the sounds of carp patties with fresh dill.
so if it comes down to nonpalatable, who do you think would want them or how to dispose of them responsibly?
Opps!!! lol... So I guess ur not going to eat them, right??? :)
Scavengers will eat them if you take them up in the woods.... Just don't leave them lay where folks frequent. Some places prefer we throw them in dumpsters to be hauled away... and actually, I bet that's the legal way to take care of them... treat them as residential refuse... like deer carcasses. That's what I do with them after I remove the skins... right in the garbage. I would bury them in my garden, but I know my dogs would dig them up and roll in them :^(
If I think of it, next time I go past the park office over at Moraine, I'll stop in and ask them.
Fertilizer in ur garden cut them up and put a piece under ur flowers or plants. Thats what Indians did. I know folks that would put a fish under tomato plants.. Dig hole a little deeper than the plant put fish ("CRAP" sorry Nut I had to say it. :)... ) in it, put back some dirt. then put plant on top and cover.. Just try it on one plant and come back and tell us what happened.. Ed
LOL! Just another word for fertilizer, eh?! ;-)
My dad brined and smoked carp. If I remember right, he would split them down the back, remove the skin and cut out the dark red line. Then brine and smoke. It was great that way. Suckers were good for pickling.
Dave
My dad brined and smoked carp. If I remember right, he would split them down the back, remove the skin and cut out the dark red line. Then brine and smoke. It was great that way. Suckers were good for pickling.
Dave
Thanks Dave- do you remember what wood he used for smoking? I heard alder or fruit woods are better on fish. That is what I use on trout. But thinking maybe hickory might not overpower a strong tasting fish like carp.
i am leaning towards using the smoker.
Hey Teeton- you been out yet to check for carp?
Went for carp at Howard with a buddy last night. Only landed one but had decent action for stalking along the banks. Hit several others and had one on pretty solid but it gave up its swim bladder instead of coming in nice and easy
I've had smoked carp and it was terrible.I wouldn't consider eating one.Like pretty much anything,they need managed.I have no problem throwing them on the bank and I have no issues tossing crows or stuffing woodchucks back down their holes either.
The third week of May is when they start spawning.
Ed said the water was high last week, so he didn;t check. But we should have a report soon. ;-)
I saw two rolling around down a Moraine's Lake Arthur yesterday. Nothing today.
It's close. Things usually kick off about Memorial Day or after. Now is the critical time. Weather from here on will determine if the spawn is concentrated and insanely fun, or spread out and meh. It's supposed to be nice the next several days and then get in the mid 80's... I'm thinking it could be an awesome spawn. My problem is, I'm in the middle of house closings and moving, and all my stuff is packed up. I'm gonna run up to the other house tomorrow and grab a longbow and get my license. I need some skins for bow backing.
It's finally warming up enough here for some limited action. My buddy Bill and myself took these 5/22 in about 2 1/2 hrs. Some were real hogs!
We give ours to the local Zoo. They feed them to the bears.
wow! Congrats! Looks like you had a great time. What part of the state?
5/20/14 The one that didn't get away.
Wow! Outpostdave, that's a haul! Looks like fun. I need to get out some evening this week. Should be getting good.
Rut Nut, Erie. Presque Isle. We went again on Memorial day and slammed em' pretty good only to find that the Zoo wasn't taking any more. They won't let you bury them on the park anymore, so disposal is becoming an issue. It takes a pretty big hole to bury a good days worth. My buddy the farmer isn't even real keen on the idea of tossing them in his compost pile. I have to come up with a better idea before the spwawn ends! Dave
If I as closer I'd take every carp you shot for coon/mink bait.Go on the trappers board on huntingpa and those guys will take all you shoot Anyonecloser to the Poconos with no way to dispose,I'll take them all
Thanks for the information! I'll try to see if anyone in our area wants them.
Dave